People: SAB Choral Octavo

David Lantz III's arrangement honors the emotional core of this iconic song while making it fully accessible to a three-part choir. The optional flugelhorn adds sophistication without complication, giving directors a tool to deepen the sound when resources allow. This is the kind of standard that singers remember long after the concert ends.

Warm, intimate, and genuinely uplifting. The arrangement captures the vulnerability of the song's message while maintaining an elegant simplicity that lets the melody shine. Singing it builds both confidence and emotional expression in the ensemble.

This octavo suits choirs at the high school and adult community levels who are comfortable with SAB voicing and ready for repertoire with both accessibility and artistic depth. Directors seeking concert-quality Broadway material that doesn't require show orchestration will find this essential.

• Balance the melody carefully between the soprano and alto lines, particularly in phrases where the parts move independently. The arrangement's richness depends on each line being heard.
• If you're adding the flugelhorn, rehearse it separately with the choir first so singers hear how it sits within the texture. Record a rehearsal pass with just voices, then layer in the brass.
• This song lives in its lyrics. Spend rehearsal time on diction and phrasing so the text lands clearly; the melody will follow naturally.
• Take advantage of the recorded accompaniment to anchor the choir's intonation and tempo during rehearsals, especially if this is new to your ensemble.

Program this as a standalone concert feature that balances heavier classical or contemporary works, or pair it with other Styne arrangements from the Alfred Pop Choral Series for a Broadway-themed set. Its 12 pages make it manageable for a spring or end-of-year concert without overwhelming rehearsal schedules.

• Legit pop/musical theater vocal production and phrasing
• Independent part singing in three-part mixed voicing
• Text clarity and emotional expression in performance
• Balancing solo melody with supporting harmonic lines
• Rehearsal independence using recorded accompaniment